Sci-fi and fantasy reviews, among other things

1939 Retro Hugo Awards Announced!

Today at LonCon3 the winners of the 1939 Retro Hugo Awards were announced. See the full list here. Mary Robinette Kowal (Shades of Milk and Honey, 2010) and Rob Shearman (Doctor Who) hosted the event, which looked dazzling on Ustream.tv, even though none of us viewers could really hear what was going on. I would normally comment on the clever things people said and did, but because I couldn’t hear anything, I’m going to take the vain route and say that Mary looked gorgeous and I want her dress.

The winners [my comments in green]:

Best Novel: The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White (Collins) [No shocker. Loved The Once and Future King, too.]

Best Novella: “Who Goes There?” by Don A. Stuart [John W. Campbell] (Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1938) [YAY! And Time Trapgot second place, which means the rest of this category must have been total garbage, right?]

Best Novelette: “Rule 18” by Clifford D. Simak (Astounding Science-Fiction, July 1938) [Grrr… one of two that I didn’t get to read in this category, and the only one I really wanted to read. Why, Simak, must you be so undigitized?]

Best Short Story: “How We Went to Mars” by Arthur C. Clarke (Amateur Science Stories, March 1938) [Grrr… the only one in this category that I didn’tget to read.]

The 2014 Hugo Awards ceremony is this Sunday, August 17 at 8 PM BST. I’m hoping for all kinds of pointed remarks, declarative social stances, and overall awkward cringiness, so I hope the sound works this time.